Spring 2025 Update 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
Spring 2025 Update

2 + 1 Dual Program in Physical Education, M.A. (Pre-service) and School Health Education Advanced Certificate


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Physical Education M.A. (Pre-service)

NY State Program Code: 24573
HEGIS Code: 0835.00
CIP Code: 13.1314

School Health Education Advanced Certificate

NY State Program Code: 36176
HEGIS Code: 0837.00
CIP Code: 13.1307

Credits required for the Physical Education M. A. (Pre-service) (36-48 Credits)

Credits required for the School Health Education Advanced Certificate (16 credits)

Paul Rukavina, Program Director
Woodruff Hall, Room 171
p - (516) 877-4197
f - (516) 877-4258
e - rukavina@adelphi.edu

The 2 + 1 Dual Program in Physical Education M. A. (Pre-service) and School Health Education Advanced Certificate prepares students to teach Pre-K to 12 physical education and health education in schools. The program is designed for students that have a baccalaureate degree and wish to obtain New York State initial certification in both Physical Education and School Health Education. Simultaneously students will earn a Masters degree in Physical Education and an Advanced Certificate in School Health Education.

The program provides students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to develop, teach, and promote healthy actively lifestyles both in the classroom and movement instructional spaces with an emphasis on social-emotional learning.

Previous course work and experiences are evaluated with respect to their comparability with required coursework. For the M.A. in physical education (pre-service), the degree requires a minimum of 30 graduate credits. Student teaching or pre-requisite physical education core content are not included in the 30 credit minimum but are required for State certification.

For the Advanced Certificate in School Health Education students may have some of the (1) pedagogical core requirements and the (2) health content requirements that are needed to be certified and to meet the prerequisite course requirements. Some students may need to take more prerequisite courses depending on their background and previous course work.

Students may be able to transfer up to 6 credits of non-Adelphi graduate level courses and/or up to 9 credits of Adelphi graduate level courses for each the Physical Education M.A. and School Health Education Advanced Certificate upon advisor’s approval, not to exceed 9 total transfer credits in each program. Students may transfer undergraduate physical education co-requisite core content courses that meet the program requirements. 

Students who choose to graduate with the Masters in Physical Education will continue with the Advanced Certificate in School Health Education for the final year without any further administrative action. 

Physical Education Core Content- Co-requisites (18 credits)


Prerequisites classes are waived if the student has taken as an undergraduate at Adelphi University or equivalent university.

Educational (Pedagogical) Core (15 credits)


Courses (or equivalent) required for teacher certification

Physical Education Student Teaching (6 credits)


Physical Education Notes


Field experiences, Internship, and Student Teaching are required and these experiences will be selected and scheduled with the students’ adviser. Departmental policy is to place perspective teachers in districts other than those attended as high school. Fieldwork experiences involves 25 hours of active participation with students with disabilities and Internship involves 65 hours in an approved elementary placement and 65 hours in an approved secondary (middle or high school) placement.

Student teaching requirements involve completing all Physical Education Core Content, Educational Core coursework (0852-505 professional seminar may be taken during the student teaching semester), Physical Education Core Co-requisites, and State Teacher Certificaton Requirements. Student teaching involves seven weeks in an approved elementary physical education placement and 7 weeks in a secondary physical education placement (middle or high school. Students are required to complete a departmental clearance application the semester prior to Student Teaching.

Additional coursework may be necessary where a student’s background in identified content areas is found to be lacking or weak.

Pre-requisite Health Content Courses (14 credits)


(14 credits required, to be approved by the program to meet the NYSED 30 credit minimum health education content requirement)

State Teacher Certification Requirements


Fees are required for each of the following:

  •  Adult and Child First Ad/CPR/AED Certification
  •  Workshop: Concussion Management Heads-UP
  •  Workshop: Child Abuse and Neglect 
  •  Workshop: Violence Prevention
  •  Workshop: Dignity for All Students Act - Suggest EDU 697 - Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Training Credits: 0.00
  •  Fingerprint Clearance
  •  State Exam: Educating All Students (EAS)
  •  State Exam: Content Specialty Test- Physical Education (CST)
  •  State Exam: Content Specialty Test- Health Education (CST)
  • The following New York State certification requirement workshops can be met by health education courses as indicated:

         Grade Requirements

  •  Minimum 3.00 Major GPA required
  •  Minimum C grade required in major undergraduate courses and earn a B- or better in all courses 500 level or above to apply for teacher certification.

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